Quote: (09-12-2014 12:08 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:
Global,
Since you're the expert on airlines in here, a couple of questions for you:
I'm planning my return to Asia in early/mid nov and I just saw a YYZ-HKG one way with Hainan airlines for 650$ with a stop in PEK. What are your thoughts on Hainan air? Safe? Good food? Enough leg room and comfy seats in economy?
Saw that flying direct from YYZ to HKG for the same date would be 955 with both Air Canada and Cathay at the exact same price. The AC flight leaves at 10 am and takes a very scenic route going through Greenland, the Arctic/North Pole, then onto Siberia, Mongolia and finally through China before descending towards HKG.
The Cathay flight leaves at 1.25am and during the entire flight it will be pitch dark as it'll be night all along, so no sightings possible, which I do enjoy.
Despite AC being garbage for flights within Canada and NA, they are rather decent for their flagship flights to HKG and NRT with bigger planes with bigger seats and leg rooms. The deal breaker would be to get an empty seat besides you. On a 15h30 flight, that extra empty seat is a god sent, believe you me!
Cathay, is an airline I've only heard praises about, so I'm tempted very much for the exact same price as the AC flight at 955$. How is the food on Cathay for a long flight? Enough leg room and comfy chairs?
To date, the very best service and quality of flying experience and top notch food has been with Etihad on my first trip to BKK. Comfy chairs with enough leg room, they present you with a menu before meals, not just for show but to choose between 3 sets of dishes and the forks and knives were in silver as opposed to plastic with the other airlines. And the food delicious! I still remember to this day the yummy couscous royal with lamb and Haegen Daaz ice cream! Oh and the stewardesses all young, tall and attractive and friendly!
So would you say Cathay's service and quality would compare with Etihad's?
Is Hainan safe enough and has good service and worth the 300 savings? Or should I go with the tested, tried (AC for which I'm a VIP flyer)? Or forgo the miles I'd get with AC and opt for Cathay for a supposedly superior experience?
Oh one more thing, does the airline or the immigration in HKG give a hard time for travels on a one way ticket?
And once in HKG, both MNL and BKK are a short and cheap flight away.
Very excited and can't wait to be there! I'm long due for a return to Asia!!!
Thanks!
Expert, well, thats overstating to be sure.
I've only flown Hainan in first class domestic within China, Shenzhen to Beijing. It was full flat bed, angelic flight attendants, the full nine. I liked it very much. Hainan is partnered (or was, its a bit cloudy now) with HK Airlines, and is considered higher end for within China. Its as safe as any other Chinese airline, and would be my preference after Cathay/Dragonair for flying in China.
I certainly wouldn't value lounge service at 300 dollars, so basing AC vs. Hainan on that - throw it away. Hainan does have a limited frequent flyer program itself, so you're forgoing those miles, if you're flying Hainan, unless you plan to build up a balance with them. They do have a transfer program with a major credit card though, so maybe you could use them.
Cathay is a very good airline, and the food is pretty decent. What I'd recommend almost for any airline is to request a special meal, which means they take a little extra care with it (and you typically get served first). Anything will do, low sodium, seafood, veggie, whatever. I also do, but I don't eat meat so I have a reason to. However, I've seen some pretty nice meat eater food on Cathay, so of course, its a roll of the dice if you don't need it.
What exactly does VIP on AC get you, other than lounge access? AC miles have some good value booking award tickets and if you've collected some, it might be worthwhile to keep collecting.
I guess what I am saying is that there are too many factors for me to make the decision for you. I think any of those airlines will be fine. I'd choose Cathay in general, because their standards are so high, the planes are super clean and i"ve had consistently good experiences on them. I'd fly a bigger jet over a smaller jet, and wouldn't worry too much about the view - you'll often be flying through cloud cover potentially, so don't base on that.
I like flying Asian airlines, with asian passengers who tend to be smaller in their seats and less noisy (surprisingly) on board. Definitely, if you fly Cathay, sign up for a OneWorld airlines account or Alaska and make sure you credit those miles somewhere (although if you've too much of a discounted ticket, you may not get much credit). Did you check the premium economy prices for Cathay. Now, thats a nice flight, comfortable, good food, good seat. Also, did you check Philippine Airways.
Just a quick search on ITA matrix and I found an AC flight from Vancouver to HKG in premium economy on Oct. 23rd (no idea when you're flying) for 847 USD. There's a Cathay (CX) premium economy flight from Newark to HKG, also direct, for 1281. Same price CX PE from Chicago. Also CX PE prices at 1189 from SFO, and LAX on that date, and there were other dates with similar fares. Assuming you've got some miles on AirCanada, it should be possible for your to position yourself using miles to book biz class to one of those cities, (perhaps the Vancouver flight on AC) or buy a cheap positioning ticket (I'm seeing 231 USD with one stop, 289 direct (including on AC) all over the place) on Westjet or something. Then you can travel in substantially more comfort. And not to stray too far, but there are business one ways from around 1650, SFO to HKG via MNL (Manila).
Quote: (09-12-2014 01:02 AM)Antipodean Wrote:
For me, there is one main over riding factor when flying medium or long haul:
If it is a B777, are the economy seats 3-3-3 or 3-4-3 configuration?
That is, 9 seats across the cabin or 10.
777's with 10 seats across the cabin are absolute shit.
These days about half the airlines run them that way, including Emirates, Etihad, which are otherwise good airlines.
By contrast the equivalent Airbus's are 2-4-2, 8 across.
10 seats across means that each seat space (pitch) is less than 18 inches wide. Are you less than 18 inches across your shoulders?
I can live with the configurations if I am in a window seat. In a middle seat, I'll kill someone or myself, unless I'm stuck in the middle of the Philippines maxim swimsuit model convention team. I try to stick, if possible, to premium economy at absolute minimum, or at least make sure to get bulkhead/window seat.
Quote: (09-12-2014 02:26 AM)iop890 Wrote:
Quote: (09-12-2014 02:11 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:
lop,
Thanks for sharing your experience with Hainan. Appreciated man!
What did you mean getting hassled in Beijing? By the immigration people there? Why would they if all you're doing is just transiting through? Doesn't make sense.
Anitpodean,
Yeah Cathay is indeed top notch from everyone I know who has flown with them has nothing but praises for them.
No problem.
Not immigration. I had an empty zippo lighter in my checked bag that wasn't allowed, and they can't just take things out of passenger's bags apparently.
So I had to walk from my gate to the other side of the airport, take the lighter out, hand it to the guy, and sprint back to not miss my flight out. Thanks a lot, Gmanifesto.
No big deal really, one I my smoother layovers actually. I used to always pick flights with long >12 hour layovers to save a few dollars back when I was young and dumb. Once had a 26 hour layover in Mumbai to save 178 dollars.
I actually love a long layover so long as I don't need a visa to get out of the airport and look around ( I don't mean 8 hrs, I mean like 24). I try to give new meaning to the word "layover."
I've referral links for most credit cards, PM me for them & thanks if you use them
Strip away judeo-christian ethics ingraining sex is dirty/bad & the idea we're taking advantage of these girls disintegrates. Once you've lost that ethical quandary (which it isn't outside religion) then they've no reason to play the victim, you've no reason to feel the rogue. The interaction is to their benefit.
Frequent Travs
Phils SZ China
